Top Wellness Travel Trends for 2012

Health and Fitness Travel have uncovered their top wellness trends for 2012. As a spa and wellness consultant, I find them very interesting to share with my readers.

Here are their latest predictions for 2012:

1. Spa and Culture

More spas around the world now enable you to dip your toes in another country’s culture and experience your destination on a holistic level. Combining a healthy getaway with culture is a way to experience spa therapies that are indigenous to the country you are visiting. More innovative spas have created treatments based on their local culture and customs.

2. Bootcamp for the Soul

We want more of a holistic approach to fitness. The new wave of active and wellness retreats help you wind down and tone up at the same time with a little bit of luxury in comparison to the tough military bootcamp approach. More holidays offer a gentler approach in how to exercise with dedicated tailor-made wellness programmes and some much needed time for relaxation.

3. Age Adapted Spas

We expect more generation spas to appear in 2012, adapted to the needs of specific age groups. Age adapted spas targeting younger groups will be focusing on the preventative aspect of healthy ageing, whereas 55+ spas will be incorporating rehabilitation treatments and looking at how to prevent age related diseases such as osteoporosis.

4. Holidaying with Health Gurus

Top health and fitness experts now work at some of the leading resorts around the world. More people want to receive dedicated support and guidance from the best in the industry; wellness retreats are bringing in the top yoga teachers, nutritionists, doctors, personal trainers and more health gurus to raise their game. Clients want to be inspired and informed so that they can lead a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle when they return home.

5. Nutrition as a Foundation

Spas will start to focus more on nutrition with follow-up consultations in order for clients to make healthy changes to their lifestyle. It is imperative that more spas stress the importance of nutrition as we cannot expect to see proper results from spa treatments without the spa-goer making the necessary adjustments to their diet. The body needs to be looked at as a whole with nutrition being the most powerful way of working on the body, skin and mind.

6. Health and Fitness Consultations

Wellness retreats are introducing comprehensive health and fitness consultations to analyse clients’ needs in order to create a lifetime goal-driven tailor-made programme. This could range from losing weight to comprehensive post-recovery from an injury to building strength or flexibility.

7. Social Spa-ing

2012 will continue to see a rise in community spas where socialising is a major aspect. The spas will be designed in ways that allow spa-goers to socialise and receive treatments at the same time. The growing trend for Hammam rituals and treatments is a great illustration of this, building on the traditions of communal bathing and cleansing.

8. Healthy Breaks for Men

The stereotype that pampering is for women and fitness for men is cracking. More men every year are opting for healthy breaks rather than adrenaline-filled action-packed holidays. The dawning realisation that healing spa therapies and detox are not a feminine concept is increasing demand for such retreats for both genders. There are many spas that cater to men and have specialised treatments for their neglected muscles and abs.

9. Healthy Aging

The years ahead could be the golden age of 50+ travellers, as walking, cycling, tennis, spa and yoga holidays become more popular as retirees seek to prolong their vitality. It isn’t about reducing wrinkles, but rather health enhancement and disease prevention.

10. Mind and Body Awareness

As well as keeping in good physical shape, the equal importance of mental fitness and body awareness is being more widely acknowledged. Meditation is no longer viewed as a spiritual past time, but as an essential daily tool for coping with stress, and more holistic classes are appearing on activity schedules such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong and yoga. Wellness retreats around the world are incorporating programmes to aid stress reduction through meditation and healing therapies.

11. Health and Fitness in Nature

Many wellness resorts are moving their programmes outdoors and encouraging guests to engage with the natural resources exclusive to their locations. Outdoor activities can range from hiking in the mountains, yoga in the garden, outdoor rock climbing, open air spas, water sports and meditation on the beach.

12. Family Wellness

The boom in solo travellers continues to rise for wellness holidays but more families are now searching for these types of getaways. Parents want their children to be healthy on holiday and also keep busy with plenty of activities so they don’t get bored. More resorts are also introducing healthy children’s menus so they can learn good habits early. Parents also want to be able to enjoy holistic activities and spa treatments, whilst their children are staying active.

13. Health Concerns

Alongside personal financial worries the consumer mind-set is also dominated by health and weight concerns. More adults are trying to engage in healthier activities to fight the flab and beat stress. Active holidays help encourage a healthier lifestyle away from home.

14. Sleep Well

With 75% of the UK workforce getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, more of us are suffering from sleep problems due to stress and hectic lifestyles. Wellness retreats round the world are introducing sleep programmes to assist clients with problems such as chronic insomnia or even just mild sleep problems.